More links between lack of exercise and asthma

March 3rd, 2009

Children who have a less active lifestyle are more likely to develop asthma, a new study has shown. 3,000 were tracked from birth to age 11, and parents were asked to track any symptoms of wheezing, as well as their television viewing habits, according to the BBC website.

By the end of the study, 6% of the children had developed asthma, and children who watched more than two hours of television a day were almost twice as likely to have been diagnosed with asthma.

It’s speculated that asthma could be triggered by children being inactive, and those who watch television more were thought to lead a less active lifestyle, although exercise levels weren’t monitored in the study. It’s also thought that breathing patterns are important, particularly during exercise.

Dr Elaine Vickers of Asthma UK said: “The findings add to a wealth of evidence linking a lack of exercise and being overweight with an increased risk of asthma, but this study is the first to directly link sedentary behaviour at a very young age to a higher risk of asthma later in childhood.”